Would a 30% TCA peel get rid of brown spots on my hands?
Yes most likely unless the spots are thicker or precancerous lesions (quite common on the backs of the hands). So you are probably thinking, “Why isn’t this done more?” The problems with this strength of peel on the back of the hands are:
- The healing time is long, often 3 weeks and during that time you shouldn’t expose the hands to sunlight, dishwashing, anything that might tear the skin like gardening, even cooking, or many other activities. They look unsightly for that length of time and even after the peeling is finished, may be pink to red for a while. We use our hands so much that it’s difficult to do this. Any tears in the skin or areas where the peel went too deep, can leave scars and/or pigment problems. Learn more about TCA Chemical Peels.
- When you contrast this with the lasers, usually a Q-switched Nd:Yag, IPL or the fractionated lasers like the Fraxel Dual or fractionated CO2 are used, the healing time is faster, you have more use of your hands, and there is less risk of scarring. The downside of lasers is that they are more expensive.
Hope this helps, Dr. I
Read Dr. Irwin’s article Quick Introduction to Cosmetic Skin Treatments.